Government employees in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties have the highest average pay of civil service workers anywhere in the state, according to a new report from The Empire Center for New York State Policy.

“What They Make,” the report which examined county and municipal payrolls for the 2012-13 fiscal year, show that the 5,040 government employees in Westchester had the highest salaries in the state, earning an average of $80,322. Putnam was second, paying its 632 government employees an average of $66,637. After Nassau ($65,899) and Suffolk ($63,595), Rockland ranked fifth-highest with an average salary of $61,674 for its 2,773 government workers.

In the ranking of cities, government workers in Westchester’s cities filled all five of the top slots statewide. Yonkers’ 985 employees earned an average of $68,786, followed by New Rochelle ($64,293), Peekskill ($60,888), Rye ($58,904) and White Plains ($58,093).

Westchester and Rockland towns also took the top five spots on that list. Ramapo government employees have the highest average pay among towns statewide at $69,822. The rest of the top five: Harrison ($69,009), Clarkstown ($65,448), Orangetown ($64,398) and Bedford ($63,050).

Harrison was the only local village to crack the top five highest average salaries. It was fifth with $69,763.

Westchester and Rockland also had some of the state’s highest paid employees. Westchester corrections officers Eric Middleton, a sergeant, and Stanford Brown, earned $277,339 and $276,562, respectively, the fifth- and sixth-highest salaries statewide. Paul Modica, chief of the Spring Valley police department, earned $275,388, the seventh-highest statewide. Peter Brower, chief of the Ramapo police department, was paid $268,412, ranking ninth statewide, while Capt. Robert Mahon of the Clarkstown police earned $266,847, 10th on the list.

Read the Empire Center’s full report below and let us know what you think in the comments.

Dwight R. Worley has covered the politicians, educators, activists, businesses, developers and residents of the Lower Hudson Valley for more than a decade. As a reporter and data analyst on the newspaper's Tax Watch Team, Dwight keeps a sharp eye on local taxes, budgets and spending. Dwight has worked on the projects team as a computer- assisted reporting expert. That experience is handy on the Tax Watch Team, as is his master's degree in computer science from Pace University.